“I will vote against him (Trump) on Tuesday”–Fareed Zakaria gps.

“I will vote against him (Trump) on Tuesday”–Fareed Zakaria gps.

by Fareed Zakaria

Over the course of this campaign, I have heard from many people who have cheered my opposition to Donald Trump. But others have objected, arguing that I was being biased, that Hillary Clinton has many flaws as well. So let me try to explain, one last time, why Donald Trump is worth special attention.

I am not a highly partisan person. I have views that are left of center, but others that are conservative. I came to this country when Ronald Reagan was president and admired him. I think well of many Republican politicians, including the last two GOP presidential nominees, John McCain and Mitt Romney, both of whom are honorable men who would have been good presidents.

Donald Trump is different — not just because he is obnoxious, tacky and vulgar, or because his business dealings show him to be a scam artist. He is different because of what he believes.

The simplest way to understand Trump’s core beliefs is to look at his words and actions, not just today but well before. Politicians pander to voters, and Trump’s views on Social Security and Medicare (which he promises not to touch) and taxes (which he promises to cut) seem pretty insincere, reflections of what he thinks his supporters want to hear. But he does have deeper beliefs, values and instincts.

The first area that stands out is race. Trump has consistently expressed himself — in word and deed — in ways that can only be described as racist. In his earliest years as a developer, he was sued by the Justice Department for allegedly denying housing to qualified black people. In the case of the Central Park Five, Trump jumped into the public arena, taking out full-page ads assailing the accused black teenagers and demanding that “when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes.” Most strikingly, he refused to back down when DNA evidence had clearly exonerated the five men, and New York City was forced to pay $41 million in damages for wrongfully imprisoning them for up to 13 years.

Donald Trump called for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the U.S. in December. But since then, his commitment to a “total and complete shutdown” has wavered repeatedly. Here’s how. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

Trump seems to believe in ethnic stereotypes deeply. He boasts of his own bloodline and compares it to breeding racehorses. In a 1991 book, one of his associates described him as horrified to see African Americans in his accounting department at two of his hotels, quoting Trump as saying, “Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.” Trump acknowledged the veracity of these comments in a later Playboy interview, before walking it back in a 1999 NBC interview, calling it “nonsense.”

Trump has also always been a protectionist. In the 1980s, he was sure that the Japanese were about to take over the world and that the only solution was tariffs and trade wars. He doesn’t seem to have noticed that the future he predicted never happened. Undeterred, he has now focused his wrath on China, just as that economy has begun to slow down, and Mexico, a country so small that its effect on the U.S. economy is minimal. The common thread is that Trump is quick to tell Americans facing economic hardship that they should blame their problems on foreigners.

Trump–The Macho Man

If there is one view that Trump has expressed consistently, openly and with relish, it is that women exist fundamentally as objects for men’s pleasure. He has said and done dozens of things over 30 years that confirm this demeaning view of women — in interviews with Howard Stern, during his ownership of the Miss Universe pageant, when describing working women, and when debating female candidates such as Carly Fiorina and Hillary Clinton. Trump once said in New York magazine about women, “You have to treat ’em like s—.”

Finally, Trump has expressed impatience and contempt for many of the foundations of liberal democracy. He has repeatedly promised to change laws to make it easier to punish journalists who offend him. He has threatened people who contributed to his Republican opponents, implying that he would have the government look into their business affairs. He has proposed a number of policies that are illiberal, unconstitutional or even war crimes, such as banning all Muslims from entering the United States, and waterboarding suspected terrorists and killing their families. He has compared his ideas to the internment of U.S. citizens and noncitizens of Japanese descent during World War II, implying that he approved of that measure. And he has threatened to jail his opponent if elected.

Mike Pence–The Rock and Reason behind Donald J. Trump

These, then, are the core views of Donald Trump, expressed over decades, and confirmed by many of his actions: racism, sexism, protectionism, xenophobia and authoritarianism. His views on taxes and regulations are irrelevant. Your view of Hillary Clinton is irrelevant. Donald Trump is not a normal candidate. He is a danger to American democracy. And that is why I will vote against him on Tuesday.

Yes, but he is going to make America great again with whatever methods of his choosing. Almost 50% or a little more might democratically vote for him because, Mr. Fareed, America is ready for Him though you might not be. So what makes you so sure you are right and the other 50% are wrong? Because you are a journalist?

Portraying a formidable presidential candidate in 100% negativity tells more about the writer than the person he is writing about. There is not a slightest sense of balance – a cardinal sin for journalists. This is understandable given the fact that he was previously caught doing a con job plagiarising the works of others. But he writes beautifully, one must admit.

“I never thought I would say this but Fareed has the right of it. At this point anyone voting Trump is either racists or ignorant.”

I am still laughing so hard. This is so typical of the likes of you Anyone whose opinion differs from yours is either ignorant, juvenile or whatever. Everyone is entitled to express their opinion. You cannot accept that you are as opinionated as everybody else. The only monopoly that an ostrich like you can claim, is your own ignorance of the reality that the American people whom Killary called the deplorables, want to change the status quo.
God forbids if Trump wins. I look forward to see that day the deplorables make the high and self righteous scums at Capitol Hill accountable for their misdeeds.
Just saying…..don’t get your knickers all twisted up now 😉

“This is understandable given the fact that he was previously caught doing a con job plagiarising the works of others. But he writes beautifully, one must admit.”

Well said. As they say, birds of the same feather stick together. A cheater blowing hard for another who even unprecedentedly cheats at the debates. Killay is desperate to win by hook or crook. It amazing that Trump is still standing neck to neck in the race against all odds. The power is in the hands of the people IF Soros has not already rig his electronic voting machines.

“I am still laughing so hard. This is so typical of the likes of you Anyone whose opinion differs from yours is either ignorant, juvenile or whatever….”

No, only people like you , who are ignorant, juvenile and apparently have reading comprehension problems. I get that you would overlook Trump’s racism, bigotry, dubious business deals and the myriad other deplorable characteristics and acts he has done, all the while trying to con people into believing all this is about changing Washington.

But then again nothing you have written so far about Trump indicates that you are anything but whiny git, upset about perceived slights and knowing nothing about the world.

I’m glad to piss in your Tump Aid.

And Hawking Eye what’s this nonsense about “balance”. If David Duke was a formidable opponent, would you think that there was something in his candidacy (or the candidate) which was positive or would you think that there was something wrong with the people who made him formidable ?

I won’t even bother to response except to say that I choose not to argue with a liar like you. Heck, everyone knows that no one can win an argument with a liar because liars believe in their lies. Btw. Yes. I am still laughing hard at you.
It is awfully nice of you to keepi me entertained. 🙂 You just brighten up the day. HAHA.